2008 was great, but it's time to shine in 2009!

Last year, when I composed my New Year post, it was pretty cold. Looking back I listed the temperature at 32 degrees, well, fittingly, this year it's 42 degrees, but feels like its 34.

I don't know what sort of reflections to note. Maybe its the weather, or the restaurant, or all the other stuff, but I just don't feel like I want to say much.

Last year I made a few resolutions. I wrote:
1. Find my calling. In 2008, I'm going to find a career which I am passionate about.(About a month later, I joined Taco Bell.)
2. Run. The goal is to participate in 3 5k's throughout the year with the first in March.(I started strong, but was unable to run any 5 k's, and slowly stopped running, although I lost about 30lbs and have kept it off)
3. Energize my faith. Finally, I have found a home and now I am going to re-charge my faith by renewing my faith. (This was a little easier. I've been attending Friendship baptist Church, and enjoy the services when I can make them.)

So as they say, two out of three ain't bad. Also, I made some predictions.

2008 Predictions:
1. Batman becomes the top grossing film in 2008.(This was right on. Christian Bale faced off against Heath Ledger for the highly-anticipated, action-packed follow-up to 2005's "Batman Begins," conquering the box office with not only the biggest movie of the year, but also the second highest-grossing movie of all time -- behind "Titanic" -- sending the Joker laughing all the way to the bank. Total Gross: $530,750,228)
2. Edwards wins the Democratic Nomination and eventually the Presidency.(Maybe not so much on this prediction)
3. The New York Mets win the World Series.(Not even close)

So here's to 2009 and my new resolutions.

1. I would like to become more involved in the community. Maybe I'll join a Networking organization, or volunteer in the community, I might even begin substituting at the local highschools on my days off.
2. I am going to recommit to my resolution to run. As a goal, I would like to run at least 3 5k's in 2009.
3. Finally, I want to make a commitment to regularly attend church services at Friendship Baptist, even if that means, getting up at 9 am on a Sunday after closing the restaurant the night before.
   

As far as predictions go, I'm just not feeling that frisky right now. Maybe that will be a post later.

Here's a picture that reminds me of 2008 and the year that was.

Finding Peyton and Losing with the Pacers

Well, thanks to Tim and Jessie for being such good friends and snagging some discounted tickets to the Pacers/Hornets game. It was quite a 'splediforous' evening. From grubbing on some eggplant and mu-shu, to finding Peyton Manning on the streets, to getting snubbed by Verizon, it was a great night.

But let me start from the beginning, our friends Tim & Jessie invited us to join them for a Pacers game. To make an evening out of things, we all decided to do dinner at PF Changs. Of course, Stacy & I shared a platter of our favorite, Honey Chicken. Tim decided to go out on a limb, and got the Pork Mu-Shu, while, Jessie grabbed some eggplant. Since the portionings at the restuarant were huge, both Tim and Jessie shared a little with me. Loved the mu-shu, and the eggplant was good, but you probably won't see me ordering it again. For drinks, we sipped on some Kirin Ichiban and a Bistro Ginger beer. I'm not sure Tim enjoyed his Ichiban, but its still worth a recommendation.

After dinner, Stacy got us lost in the mall. After cutting through Harry & Izzies (a rather upscale restaurant) we were able to exscape the death trap called Circle Center Mall. As we meandered our way to Conseco Fieldhouse, we entertained each other with a conversation about the philosophy behind the one-boobed female character in Wii bowling. If you've ever played the game you have probably noticed that the female characters are far from anatomically correct. On top of that, the prestigous Downtown Hooters sign was missing a lighted S, so it just spelled H-O-O-T-E-R, which I found fitting.

Now what I am about to tell you is true. He we are walking toward Conseco when we are passed by none other than Peyton 'MVP' Manning. He was wearing a long leather coat and was carrying on a gentle conversation with his companions. At this point, my mouth flew open. I was two feet from arguably the greatest QB in the history of professional football. And no, I didn't ask for his autograph, I didn't interrupt his conversation, or loudly yell "Go Colts", I played it cool. I thought about grabbing the camera, but it was burried deep in my pocket, and I didn't want to seem like a freak digging to get it.

Now on to the game, the Pacers lost. It happens. They played hard, and I was able to chatter on endless sports trivia to Stacy (which I don't think she appreciates as much as she should, these are nuggets of gold.) But it was a good game, the Pacers held the lead most of the way, only to lose in the last 2 minutes. They had Blue Moon on tap. And most of all, I was able to find some Ice cream for Stacy to munch on.

All in all, it wasn't a bad evening.

All right...one more funny.

Since today's Sunday, I thought that this would be a good one to brighten everybody's day. It's a classic. I first remembered hearing this joke in middle school. Enjoy!!

Moses, Jesus, and another guy were out playing golf one day. Moses pulled up to the tee and drove a long one. It landed in the fairway but rolled directly toward a water trap. Quickly Moses raised his club, the water parted and it rolled to the other side safe and sound.

Next, Jesus strolls up to the tee and hits a nice long one directly toward the same water trap. It landed directly in the center of the pond and kind of hovered over the water. Jesus casually walked out on the pond and chipped it up onto the green.

The third guy gets up and sort of randomly whacks the ball. It heads out over the fence and into oncoming traffic on a nearby street. It bounces off a truck and hits a nearby tree. From there, it bounces onto the roof of a nearby shack and rolls down into the gutter, down the downspout, out onto the fairway and right toward the aforementioned pond.

On the way to the pond, it hits a little stone and bounces out over the water and onto a lily pad where it rested quietly. Suddenly, a very large bullfrog jumped up on the lily pad and snatched the ball into his mouth.

Just then, an eagle swooped down and grabbed the frog and flew away. As they passed over the green, the frog squealed with fright and dropped the ball which bounced right into the hole for a beautiful hole in one.

Moses then turned to Jesus and said, "I hate playing with your Dad."

Just for laughs....

Here's a little joke that I was just sent in my email. I got a little kick out of it.

Two married buddies are out drinking one night when one turns to the other and says, "You know, I don't know what else to do. Whenever I go home after we've been out drinking, I turn the headlights off before I get to the driveway. I shut off the engine and coast into the garage. I take my shoes off before I go into the house, I sneak up the stairs, I get undressed in the bathroom. I ease into bed and my wife STILL wakes up and yells at me for staying out so late!"

His buddy looks at him and says, "Well, you're obviously taking the wrong approach. I screech into the driveway, slam the door, storm up the steps, throw my shoes into the closet, jump into bed, rub my hands on my wife's butt and say, 'Lets do it!'

....and she's always sound asleep.

Dundee Variety Pack Review

Here's another quick review...since I haven't done a decent beer review in forever.

Dundee Brewing Company is a craft brewing company from Rochester, New York, and one of two famous product lines from the High Falls Brewing Company. They like to brand themselves as the unique and individualistic brewing. Currently, they carry six standard brews, and a seasonal brew. In most variety packs, you get the standard six: Wheat Beer, Honey Brown, Pale Bock Lager, India Pale Ale, Pale Ale, and a Porter. The seasonal brew is typically purchased separately.

Before any tasting, what really stood out was the originality of the artwork on the label. I tried to research the artist behind the pictures, but at the time of the review, I was unable find any information on the pictures. The second thing I noticed is the special labels each brew got. Additionally, these 'taglines' are emphasized when you visit the Dundee website and click on the Ale/Lager description.

Here's a few (found on the bottle and on the website):
Honey Brown: Be different. We’re not saying that you have multiple personalities. Or voices in your head. At Dundee Brewing Company, we understand that one day you feel one way and the next you feel a little different.When you’re in the mood for something different, Dundee Honey Brown is the perfect choice. It’s different because we add pure clover honey to an outstanding lager to make a uniquely drinkable beer. Sure, honey isn’t your ordinary ingredient in beer. But if you want ordinary, you’ve come to the wrong place. [Label features a drum playing bee]

Pale Bock Lager: Be optimistic. Certain things seem interminable. The line at the DMV. The commencement address. Winter. But take heart. Even the longest, darkest winter gives way to spring and a new sense of optimism that the best is just ahead. That thought—and an itchy wool robe—sustained the monks through times of fasting. Their reward? A bock beer with the power to rejuvenate the body and the soul. That, and the opportunity to exchange the wool robe for a nice burlap one. So when you’re stuck in the middle of that seemingly endless glass of mediocre beer, be optimistic. A Dundee Pale Bock awaits.

And my favorite label, the Pale Ale: Be Hoppy. Behold the hop. A flower, but too unsightly to be used for decoration. The ugly duckling of the flower family. Oh, but the secret it holds. Soak it in some water with the right companions and it surrenders its bouquet to use a corny flower metaphor. That unique hop flavor is the difference between a fine pale ale and more ordinary beers. Dundee Pale Ale understands the secret of the hop flower—the power to turn an ordinary beer into something extraordinary. And the power to make you indescribably hoppy. [The label features a cool looking Mr. Toad with an eyeglass and mug of beer]

Now on to the taste. Each brew was undeniably drinkable. The IPA was bitter, but on to the point of repulsion, and the Porter had a very robust taste. The Wheat Beer is an American style hefeweizen. It pours a cloudy copper-gold with a solid, foamy white head with above average retention, but this beer just lacks the typical glow of a wheat beer.

My favorite of the pack was the Honey Brown. Taste is very sweet, supports the texture but not as intense, very mild, with a creaminess in the back that is very inoffensive, lots of malt with little if any hop bitterness to speak of. The taste does not support the great texture of the beer. Overall, its a good beer, but falls short on the oomph factor.

Additional information for those beerfomatics out there:

Dundee News
High Falls Brewery Information
Beer Advocate

Blinds, Curtains, and Bears, oh' my!!

Ahh, more Yule toys to enjoy. With a little free time, and a little Christmas money, we decided to finally get 'real' blinds for our bedroom and the rest of our house. After about 4 hours of work (I'm not to handy at this stuff), we were able to have a cool new bedroom. Lovin' the darkness...

Cool Yule Toys

Well, Christmas has come and gone. Love was spread, friendship was cherished, and now it's time for my inner-pirate to escape and take count of my bounty. One cool new toy is my 22 piece, stainless steel, knife set. It has hollow handles with a nice comfortable grip. Most of all, I like the stainless steel part. Stainless steel handles are the most durable of all handles, as well as the most sanitary. Many argue, however, that they are very slippery in the hand, especially when wet. To counter this, my Cooks set uses a curved design to increase usability and safety. Also, the high-carbon blades will not discolor and maintain sharper edges. Overall, this set is a very high-quality set and very eye appealing.

It includes: 8" chefs knife, 10" chefs knife, 8" slicer, 6" sandwich, 3.25" parer, 3.5" parer, 6" carving fork, kitchen shears, 9" bread knife, 6" boning, 4.5" utility, 5" utility, 8 steak knifes, 8" sharpner (honing blade). It will likely become my kitchen 'Pride and Joy'.

Flank steaks, here I come.

Merry Christmas from the Quasebarths

I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas. Play safe. Be nice. Open lots of presents!!!!!

One Day of Christmas at the Quasebarths - Dec 23

First, I need to say hi to my sister, Holly Jolly. I just found out that she's been reading all my recent blogs. This just goes to show you how nosy older sisters are.

Okay, now for my final post in this Christmas series. A little over a year ago, my grandmother past away. There's so much that I learned from her and so much that she gave me, I could never find the words to explain what she meant to me. She gave me the first Christmas tree that I could call my own. She loved this time of the year. And so today's picture is an Angel that she gave me several years ago. That angel used to set atop of that tree she gave me, but as we've got bigger trees, we've moved her to a safer spot as a decoration.

So with a very heavy heart, I present you with my angel, which Ruth gave me.

Fantasy football suckiness.

Last week was my championship in fantasy football. After dominating the entire season, I dropped the fantasy championship because Brett Farve and the Jets suck. To make things worse, I actually took Thigpen (320+ yards passing) and Ginn Jr. (1 rushing TD), out of line-up and replaced them with lowly 3rd tier players from the Jets (Farve, Jones, Coles, Keller).

Sucky-suckiness!

Two Days of Christmas at the Quasebarths - Dec 22

This is a fairly new thing for the Quasebarth Christmas, but last minute present projects are numerous. The picture so's our table of cloth, which was meant for pants. It's not because we waited, but rather, we had too much to do. Kitty doesn't help much either.

So, who still has Christmas project remaining? Knitting, sewing, cooking, anything?

Happy Holiday's from the Quasebarths.

Three Days of Christmas at the Quasebarths - Dec 21

Okay, so here's a quick one because I just got home from work (I did the graveyard tonight) and I have to get up in 3 hours to attend my father-in-law's Christmas gathering. Since I mentioned in-laws, as you can guess, today's necesity is holiday wine. The photo is a picture of a bottle of Honeywood, Holiday Cheer, which was given to Stacy and I as a gift from my marvelous friends, Ben and Megan.

Do you have any favorite holiday wines? I know Mallow Run has two holiday special wines with the Reindeer Red being my favorite. Oh well, I'm off to bed. Happy Holidays, everyone.

Four Days of Christmas at the Quasebarths - Dec 20

Gotta love this decoration. We bought it a few year's back at a little shop that had all sorts of wall decorations and ornaments. So in honor of Christmas' Past...

"Just Say Ho!!!!"

Christmas Funnies -- Part 2

Bert and Ernie Wishing Us a Merry Christmas


Cookie Monster calls Santa...mmm cookies!!!


Bill Engvall --- Here's your sign (Christmas Edition)

Five Days of Christmas at the Quasebarths - Dec 19

Here's one of my recent favorites, last year, we added this ornament onto the tree. It's a neat little Chihuahua ornament to represent our favorite Chi...Lola.

Do you have any favorite ornaments? When I was growing up, my mother would hang all of my birth ornaments. I think I had one every year until I was 18. (Not really, but it seems like that.)

Also, do you have any Christmas traditions associated with ornaments? Stacy and I purchased a pickle which we plan on doing every year with our children. If you haven't heard about the pickle tradition you can check it out here...Christmas Pickle Explanation

Friday Foto Fiesta 12-19-8

When Christmas comes around, and its time for all the wonderful decorating, I always seem to end up with a huge not of twinkle lights. Just like Chevy Chase in NL Christmas Vacation, I'm stuck with all my lights not working and I have to go through each bulb, one by one.

If you're into Christmas lights, and I mean into it, check out http://www.notenoughlights.com . It's an exclusive club of people who set up there lights to music. You get to use a fm radio statio to program. We have a house in our community that does this. It's awesome!







Don't forget to take a gander at Squirrel Chatter.
For more photo fun, check out Candid Carrie.

Six Days of Christmas at the Quasebarths - Dec 18

Wonderful ornaments. Talk about joy. On our tree we have a plethora of ornaments that have found their way into the Quasebarth home. This specific ornament was gave to us as a Christmas gift from Stacy's Aunt. As you can see, mine is pictured below and there is another with Stacy's name.

Seven Days of Christmas at the Quasebarths - Dec 17

Ahhh...the advent calendar. Mr. Santa's been through a lot in the last 5 years. He's lost his nose to a tragic dog attack, and even the small heart which used to mark the days has disappeared. But he's still hung each year.

Eight Days of Christmas at the Quasebarths - Dec 16

Today's item is dvd's. It's amazing how many Christmas specials are out there, and I'm pretty sure I own most of them. Here's my top three: 1. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, 2. A Charlie Brown Christmas, 3. Dr Seusses: How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

What's your top three Christmas movies?

Nine Days of Christmas at the Quasebarths - Dec 15

It's a very sad time for me. I have to go back to work tomorrow. No more Christmas vacation. Boo!

Here's today's item of Christmas glee. Unlike other households, Wine bottles at the Quasebarth household are properly dressed for winter. My amazingly talented wife, who is quite a knitter, put together this wine cozy for the holidays. Oh, and if you're reading this and you are on my gift list this year, avoid the picture because it will ruin the surprise when you open your gift this year.

Woohoo!!! Just hit 5000.

Thank you to all my friends and readers. Just hit the 5000 mark on my blog.

Ten Days of Christmas at the Quasebarths - Dec 14

We decorated our first Christmas tree in 2003, and we used these cute little Southwestern style ornaments to decorate the tree. Now the chili pepper lights have been replaces, and we've gone with a lot more 'traditional' ornaments, but we still hang the southwestern Santa every year.

Here's a picture of our Chili Pepper Santa Claus.

Eleven Days of Christmas at the Quasebarths - Dec 13

Okay, so the wife didn't want me to post anymore about broken things around the house, which lead me to the decision to feature our Willow Tree Nativity Set. We received the set as a wedding present four years ago, and proudly display it every winter. This year we purchased the wisemen and will hopefully get the rest next year. It's one of my favorite Christmas displays at the house.

Giants!!!

Here's a quick pick from a recent shopping outing, as you can see, I grew to a humongous size. Actually, I was just sitting on the little kids bench outside the toy store, but I couldn't resist.

Dont ask about the face...I don't know what I was thinking.

Twelve Days of Christmas at the Quasebarths - Dec 12

Okay, here's the idea. For the next 12 days, I'm going to spread a little Christmas cheer by letting all my readers know what a Quasebarth Christmas is like. Here's the first picture, it's of our little tear drop vase with some fake (and some real) winterbery.

Also, in a cruel twist of fate, Stacy's cute little tear drop vase was knocked over this morning. It shattered into a gajillion pieces, but the winterbery was okay and has been transferred.

Happy Holidays!!!!

For more information on real winterberries visit http://landscaping.about.com/cs/winterlandscaping1/a/winterberry.htm

or check out the original post at Squirrel Chatter.

My face feels like it has exploded.

Okay, so the last two days I've spent at the dentist. First, for my yearly check-up, then, for a couple of fillings. The first visit was uncomfortable and the second was horrible. In an effort to force a smile, I decided to post some Bill Cosby.

Here's his 1983 performance about dentists.

IU versus Wake Forest..today

Oh no. It's gonna be a long game.

Christmas Funnies -- Part 1

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas!


I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas -

WTF!!!


Christmas Dance Carol Remix2 -

Not my house!!!


Christmas House -

Wow...hilarious...new Kristen Wiig skit!